When we were in Puerto Rico, I spent almost the entire week plotting ways to get the staff to tell me what kind of coffee they use at breakfast. It was smooth and mild, and best of all I didn’t seem to get the stomach pains I usually get from drinking coffee. When I finally got up the nerve to ask, the waiter said, “It’s just some generic, bulk wholesale coffee they sell to hotels.” Darnit.
Because I refuse to give up coffee in the mornings, I came home and went on a search for low acid beans. What I found was a wealth of information on cold brewing, which decreases the acidity of coffee by 68%, making it tolerable for people with sensitive stomachs, like me. James and I tried it, and both felt great from day one. Halleleujah! Because if we had to go without coffee people would call ours The House of Grumpy. Hashtag notmorningpeople.
The brewing method takes time, but the process is simple.
1. Measure out one cup of ground coffee into a stainless steel bowl.
2. Add 1/4 cup water. Mix gently until the grounds are moistened.
3. Add 3/4 cup water. Cover tightly with cling film and allow to sit on your counter for 12-16 hours.
4. Strain the coffee using a French press or by pouring through cheesecloth. This produces a coffee concentrate, which should measure about 1/2 cup.
5. Add 2 to 2 1/2 cups water to the concentrate. Heat on your stovetop or in the microwave.
By not heating the grounds, you’ll prevent much of the acidity from escaping. Genius, right? There are plenty of other methods, and if you love cold brewing you may consider investing in a cold brew system down the road. We’re eyeing this one.
The Happiness Project’s Gretchen Rubin talks about her Secrets of Adulthood, like “Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good” and “You can choose what you do; you can’t choose what you like to do.” I think one of mine should be: “Eat and drink things that make you feel good, or at least not terrible.” This trick with the cold brewing is one way of helping me get there.
What’s your morning ritual?
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